Sermons from 2021 (Page 3)

Sermons from 2021 (Page 3)

Flourishing in a Foreign Land

Dan 1 The number of forcibly displaced people in the world has more than doubled in the past ten years and now stands at 82.4 million. Forced displacement is nothing new: 2600 years ago much of Jerusalem was displaced to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. Among them were Daniel and his three friends. Could they flourish in a strange land that did not acknowledge the Lord? Can we flourish today where the Lord is not acknowledged? We begin a new series in the Book of Daniel, and in the next two months will cover the first seven chapters. Would you please read 2 Kings 23–25 and Daniel 1 to prepare for this Sunday.

Surprised by Joy

Neh 8:1-12 We are coming out of the pandemic and can finally regather as a congregation in the auditorium without capacity limits! Praise God!  We are all in the process of understanding the “new-normal” that we are returning to and are slowly changing rhythms and habits of isolation that were established over the past year.  God is waiting to freely pour out His joy to us, to strengthen us in our weakness.  Expect to be surprised by joy!   This week, we’ll be concluding a short 2-sermon series entitled “Return, Rebuild, Rejoice” based on lessons from Nehemiah. As the Israelites returned from their Exile under the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra, they came together to Rebuild and to Rejoice. What can we learn from their story and example? Let’s find out together this Sunday.

Can Faith and Fear Coincide?

Hab Life is full of tension.  We’ve all experienced our share from the pandemic alone, but real life continued in the midst of it, so we faced other tensions as well.  Sometimes the tension can be so great it feels like we’re “hitting a brick wall.”  This Sunday we’re going to look at Habakkuk’s faith journey.  We’ll see how this Old Testament prophet dealt with incredible tension and how God met him in it.  Bring your Bibles on Sunday and let’s see what Habakkuk has to teach us.

Tears of Reconciliation

Gen 44:1-45:15 This week we come to the final chapter in the long process of reconciliation between Joseph and his brothers, where Joseph sets up the third and final test to determine whether his brothers are trustworthy. The first test concerned their honesty and greed. The second test was designed to plumb their ability to accept the inequalities of love. The brothers passed both tests with flying colors. The third and final test is designed to see whether they will exhibit a sacrificial love that will place their father’s interests above their own, and count their brother’s life as more important than their own. In the end, the brothers will “collectively exhibit the virtues of reconciliation have become the kingdom of God, a family fit to rule the world” (Bruce Waltke).

Leaders of Reconciliation

Genesis 43:1-34 When wounds cut deep and family members separate and no longer speak to one another, the work of reconciliation becomes extremely difficult. Last week we left our story of Joseph’s reconciliation with brothers deadlocked in a stalemate between a son in Egypt and a father in Canaan who refused to come to the table. When the head of the home refuses to lead spiritually, what can children do? The text is a masterpiece of God’s grace in the process of reconciliation and serves as a model of how to be a leader for reconciliation, even when you haven’t been given the authoritative role.

Setting the Stage for Reconciliation

Genesis 42:1-38 We live in a world at war and a nation divided. Sadly, the church has often done more to fuel the flames of the fire than to bring understanding and healing. Where are the peacemakers? Who is willing do the hard work of tearing down the walls of division and create conditions necessary for reconciliation? More importantly, who knows what is required before the process can begin? Given the centuries of hate and hostility, how would you ever be able get a Palestinian and a Jew to sit and talk at the same table? Perhaps Joseph can help us begin the process.

Weeping May Tarry for the Night, but a Shout of Joy Comes in the Morning

Genesis 41:37-52 It’s difficult to imagine how a youth from a despised race (a “Hebrew”) could immediately rise out of a prison cell and be installed as the second in command of the most powerful nation on earth. And yet, this will not be the only time this happens in the Scriptures. Joseph prefigures Moses, Daniel, and ultimately Jesus. And in the broader sense what God intends for all humankind (Psalm 8) redeemed in Christ (Isa 49:7b). You ask, “How can that be?” Come and see.

Life Together Again

Ephesians 2:21-22 After a difficult year of not being together in our building, we are finally back this Sunday! We invite you to come out as we celebrate life together again in our building. We will take a stroll backward and lament together the difficulties of the past year. We will then look forward to what life together will look like as a church family. There will also be a time of body life so we can hear from you about what you are looking forward to moving forward together. The culmination of the morning will be communion together as a church family.

Exalted at the Proper Time

Genesis 41:1-40 Through many years of ministry I have often wondered why God sets aside some of his most gifted people for extended periods of time. When such times grow in length, it’s easy to question whether we will ever know the joy of using our gifts again, or whether we were ever gifted at all. Our text speaks not only to God’s supreme faithfulness, it also gives insight into the mystery of what God was doing in Joseph, while he was painfully waiting for the proper time. It’s much easier to endure the darkness when we can see the purposeful hand behind the crucible.

Forgotten in your Dreams

Genesis 40:1-23 God never does leave us, but sometimes it seems that he does. What happens to the human soul when our dreams are forgotten in a prison of silence? Our blessed narrator has no fear taking on these questions. And the tale that he weaves will shape Israel with a spirituality that enables her to live in the worst of times. The question for us is whether we are courageous enough to receive it.

Where is God in Times of Betrayal?

Genesis 39:1-23 One of the greatest difficulties in the Christian life is bridging the gap between the promises of God and our everyday life. A powerful truth believers celebrate is the fact that the Lord is “with us.”  But what happens when you pray for God to be “with” you or your children, and tragedy occurs? Or to be “with you” at work, and you are laid off? Or to be “with you” in your marriage and you end up divorced? Or to be “with you” in your cancer treatments and they are unsuccessful? What then? Come this week and discover how God is “with Joseph” even in the midst of betrayal and prison.